Marjorie Taylor Greene Slams Biden Admin on Possible Stove Ban: 'Idiots'

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday slammed President Joe Biden's administration over reports that a gas stove ban is being considered.

The story originated in a Bloomberg report which found that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was weighing a possible ban on gas stoves because of their adverse health effects. According to recent studies, 13 percent of current cases of childhood asthma can be linked to air pollutants that are released by gas stoves. The pollutants have also been linked to the worsening of other respiratory conditions.

Some of the pollutants released by the stoves include nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter. Their adverse effects are worsened in homes without sufficient ventilation capabilities.

In an interview with Bloomberg, CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. called gas stoves a "hidden hazard" and said that a ban is a possibility.

"Any option is on the table," Trumka said. "Products that can't be made safe can be banned."

Responding to a New York Post article about the possibility, Greene, the outspoken far-right congresswoman from Georgia, slammed the decision and called those considering it as "idiots" who cannot cook.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT," Greene wrote in a tweet. "Apparently they don't even cook. Idiots."

Despite Greene's objection, such a ban would not ultimately affect a majority of Americans, as CNN reported that only 35 percent of U.S. households use gas stoves. It would, however, affect some states more drastically than others, as about 70 percent of homes in places like California and New Jersey use them.

A ban is not, however, the only option being considered to address the harm caused by gas stoves. Trumka told Bloomberg that his agency could also consider "setting standards on emissions from" gas stoves.

The CPSC stressed in a statement to CNN that no decision has been made and likely won't be for a while, as it would require "lengthy" regulatory processes.

"Agency staff plans to start gathering data and perspectives from the public on potential hazards associated with gas stoves, and proposed solutions to those hazards later this year," the statement said. "Commission staff also continues to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards."

In response to an inquiry from Newsweek, the CPSC provided a statement from Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric in which he denied that he is seeking to ban gas stoves, and said that he has "no proceeding to do so." He also emphasized that the commission is seeking only to prevent air quality hazards.

"Over the past several days, there has been a lot of attention paid to gas stove emissions and to the Consumer Product Safety Commission," Hoehn-Saric said. "Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so."

He continued: "CPSC is researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address any health risks. CPSC also is actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves. This spring, we will be asking the public to provide us with information about gas stove emissions and potential solutions for reducing any associated risks. This is part of our product safety mission – learning about hazards and working to make products safer."

A comparison from Consumer Reports last month found that in most use cases tested, electric stoves outperformed gas stoves. Electric models bested gas considerably in outputting high heat, maintaining low heat for simmering, and broiling. Gas ranges had the edge in baking, but just "narrowly."

Updated 01/15/2023, 4:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from the CPSC.